


Archeon Academy

by Magonia_bird



Category: Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crime, Multi, riverdale-esque
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-20 15:31:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14897201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magonia_bird/pseuds/Magonia_bird
Summary: With the mysterious disappearance of her older brother haunting her past, Mare enrolls in Archeon Academy under the guise of starting anew to dig for answers that lie within its walls, or rather the people there. Namely the rich and practically untouchable Samos’s and Calores. But what Mare thought would be a simple case turns out to be deeper and darker then she could ever imagine. When she uncovers a string of disappearances all possibly related, Mare falls even deeper into a sticky web of deceit and violence that goes back decades.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yes this will be a completed fic, even it takes me a while. i hope you enjoy and please comment!

Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

Standing in front the imposing glass doors was one thing while dreaming of it was another. It felt like a mouth ready to swallow me whole. 

The structure itself was odd. The main building was an old large manor, or castle rather that had been built centuries ago while adjoining sectors had been built branching off in different directions. It was a great monstrosity of stone, marble and steel with chips of dyed glass reflecting light like a jewel. I nervously smooth down my skirt once more and brace myself for the next step. And the next. There was no going back after this. One mistake, if anyone were to find out who I was...it would be over.

My blouse itched uncomfortably and I resist the urge to adjust the collar again. Another con to a private school. The unfortunate dress codes. I thought mournfully of my leather jacket, a gift from my crew sitting on my bed. If they could see me now, they would laugh their heads off, especially Kilorn. Farley would understand though. Why I had to do this. 

The main office was large with two plush couches to the sides. A few students lounge on them, phones in hand. They don’t even bother to look up as I breeze in. Good. The less people that looked the easier this would be. Across the marble countertop, a lady with a severe bun pinned on her head and a stiff posture peered down at me. Everything about her was grey. Her dress suit to her hair. Even her wire-rimmed glasses. Fitting I think as I glance at her nametag. Janet Grey, it read. 

“May I help you?”

“Um, yes,” I stutter. “I’m new here?” The words sound uncertain.

The lady doesn’t seem to notice or care. “Name?”

This was the tricky part. I lean in close, lest someone hear. “Mare Barrow,” I whisper. I held my breath and watched for any tick of recognition across her lined face. Nothing. She squints at the computer and I squirm as the seconds drag on. Finally she smiles. “Ah, yes, Ms. Barrow. Here is your ID card that is expected to be worn at all times and your timetable,” she says as she shoves the items towards me. An ID card? Really? As if my face weren’t identification enough.

I take it anyway. I was sure I didn’t have much of a say in the matter. Besides, all of this was a small price to pay for what I needed. 

I never did like the feeling of being lost. It would make me feel smaller than I already was. But that’s how I felt as I set out down the hall without any clue as to where I was going. I fumbled around for the agenda she’d given me and luckily enough there was a map in the back. My first class was History apparently in the social sciences sector. I groan as I check the map. It was quite a distance from here. I was by no means unfit but walking to class was a special kind of torture.   
Maybe I could just wander around and miss History. It wasn’t a particularly hard subject and I itched to explore the school. Had Shade once felt as I do? Like a minuscule speck in the sky among bright stars? Probably not. Shade possessed a confidence I could never hope to replicate. It was what allowed him to blend in so easily here, what people adored him for despite where he’d come from. Did any of them care that he was gone now?

In the weeks leading to his disappearance, Shade had been unfocused and withdrawn. He rarely left his room or slept. I would hear him muttering to himself as he paced. I’d known something was wrong, we all had. But none of us expected what would happen next. The images flash through my mind. The car, the roar of water, my mother’s screams. 

The terrible deafening silence to follow as we all watched. 

I shake my head furiously, as if that would erase the memories. 

A trophy case looms ahead and I tip my head at it, examining the medals within. Perhaps joining a team wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I’d always been partial to volleyball but I doubt the season had started. Cross country was another option too. I didn’t have the charms to fit in but schools were often very passionate about athletics. It would be a good cover.

I slide my gaze over to the winter sports section. A large framed photo snags my attention and I study it curiously. It was the hockey team, evidenced by the sticks in their hands. Despite the cold of the arena they all wore large smiles. A boy with rich silver hair stood out from them. I shudder to even imagine how much time and effort that would take to maintain. Another boy standing to his right stands out as well. His amber eyes hold me in place, demanding attention. He’s an easy kind of handsome. Even with the ridiculous grin. Something about him seems oddly familiar too. 

I force myself to look away and continue walking. I don’t get far before a face that looked so much like my own stops me short. My teeth clamp together, stifling a scream. He’s smiling brightly, honey eyes shining. No one else had his eyes, he’d made sure to hold that over us. I hadn’t seen his face since the last day he’d been home, the day before everything went to hell.

Shade’s school portrait hangs from the wall and flowers litter the ground. Underneath is an engraved plaque. You will be dearly missed, Shade Barrow. 

Stop acting like he’s dead, I want to scream. The police, mom, dad, the whole damn school. Everyone thought he was dead. I knew better. Shade couldn’t be dead, it simply wasn’t an option. He was too smart, too good to be dead, to be truly gone. My resolve strengthens and I quicken my pace as I head to class. 

Everyone thought I was in denial. It was easier to chalk me off as distraught sister grappling with her brother’s death. But none of them knew what I did. None of them knew about the note I’d found in his room, specifically written for me in the stupid secret language we’d made years ago. I’d forgotten about it until I’d opened up my copy of Pride and Prejudice he must’ve taken again and the Codex had fallen out from the first page. 

No one knew what it said. No one except for me. 

“Don’t trust any of them.”

***

My hand hovers over the doorknob as I debate on whether or not to open the door. I press my ear against the wood to listen for the teacher’s voice. It’s surprisingly loud and..angry. Footsteps inch closer and I pull back just in time as the door opens and a boy tumbles out. We stare at each other at a loss for words. I try to look as if I wasn’t standing out here for a good five minutes and he flushes, clearly uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry-” we both begin but stop as we realize the odd synchronization. His sleepy blue eyes shut for a moment as he cringes. I resist the urge.

My feet slide aside for him to pass. As I peer inside I find everyone staring at me. The teacher, a man with chestnut hair threaded with greys stares as well though less amused. In fact he looks irritated. He adjusts his glasses that had slipped down the bridge of his nose. Then he gestures for me to enter.

I do.

Before I can even think to sprint to the back of the class, his voice stops me cold.

“Might I ask what you were doing?”

I conceal a wince with the motion of spinning around to face him. My eyes never waver from his face. If I look elsewhere I know I’ll find myself staring into another pair of eyes. Dozens of them watch.

I clear my throat. “I didn’t want to interrupt the lesson.” 

The teacher waves a hand in dismissal. “Nonsense, you weren’t interrupting anything.” A lie. His lingering annoyance and the silence of the classroom proved so. I don’t refute his claim though. Instead I nod my head silently and move to a seat. 

“You must be the new student, correct?” he asks. My fingers curl on the desk and I fight from digging them into my palms.

“Yes, I am.”

He sweeps his arms. “Would you mind introducing yourself?” Yes, I would greatly mind, I think as I bite the inside of my cheek. I push out of my seat and steel myself. I’d rehearsed the words before, the story set into place. 

“My name is Mare,” I begin, careful to make sure I sounded like this was the first time I was saying this. “I live in the Stilts with my parents and siblings and I just transferred here from Summerton High School.” At least none of this was a lie. Sticking as closely to the truth as I could made all of this easier. 

The teacher smiles kindly at me, his irritation evaporating. “Well we hope you like the school, Mare. I’m Mr. Jacos and it’s a pleasure having you as part of the community.”

At least I’d made sure to make my introduction sound unrehearsed. Clearly he didn’t extend the same courtesy. I sink into my seat at last and flip open my notebook. As I do the same boy that I’d bumped into strides in, his eyes looking sharper. Mr. Jacos hardens as they lock gazes and I watch as their eyes flash with an obvious dislike. This had to run deeper than a troublesome student and exasperate teacher relationship. I file the note away with glee.

“Good of you to join us once more Mr. Calore,” Jacos says briskly. “This time more fully coherent I hope?”

Calore? As in that ridiculously rich that practically owned half of Norta? There were rumours that they were descended from the old kings and queens that had reigned long ago. Nobody believed it of course.

What did I honestly expect when I came here? It was no secret this was a school for the richest and often spoiled children of wealthy people. Even I couldn’t afford it. My athletic scholarship was the only thing keeping me here.

The boy clenches his teeth together and mumbles a small “yes.” Without so much as a backward glance he crosses over to his own seat and surprisingly plops down right beside my own desk. He chugs water and realizations strikes me. I hold a hand to my mouth to keep back a giggle. 

I’d seen Bree get wasted before and the mornings after were always unpleasant. I wondered why Calore felt the need to drink himself into a miserable hangover. Maybe that was how rich kids dealt with their petty problems. I almost sneer at the thought.

“Maven, could you hand out the textbooks?” Mr. Jacos asks. The question sounds polite enough but his features indicate it wasn’t a suggestion so much as it was an order. The boy--Maven--snaps his head up, his lips downturned in a sneer of his own. But he does as he’s told though he makes a point to toss them carelessly. Mine lands with a loud thunk in front of me and I mutter a quiet “thank you.” He doesn’t seem to hear, focused on the teacher and their intense staring contest.

“Open your books to page two hundred and thirty please, we’ll begin with the now dissolved monarchy of the Lakelands.”

A collective groan sweeps through the class. 

***

Lunch rolled around quicker than I’d expected. The cafeteria bustles with activity and once more I felt lost in the middle of it all. I grip my tray tightly, lest its contents clatter to the floor. It wasn’t an unreasonable fear, especially when people kept bumping into me. One of the many disadvantages to being short. But it made me invisible which was good. No one would expect me to be the wolf here.

I head for the exit intending to eat elsewhere but something stops me short. It’s the sight of Maven Calore sitting at a table alone. Perfect. 

I sidle up to the table feeling oddly nervous. He wasn’t in the best mood. Maybe it would be a better idea to stay away. But I can’t. 

“May I sit here?”

He looks up at me, startled. His blue eyes widen in shock. I can feel my face go hot. Did I say something wrong? Slowly he relaxes, settling back into his seat. “Sorry, it’s taken.”

“Oh,” I say in a small voice. I turn away but his low chuckle halts me. “I guess my sarcasm wasn’t obvious enough,” he retorts and I bristle at the veiled barb. 

“Or maybe you’re more difficult to sort out sober,” I spit. I expect him to sneer back but instead his smirk widens and he toys with his fork as he looks me over with interest this time. I draw myself up as his eyes linger on my face. In response he gestures to a seat. “It’s yours if you want it.”

I sit stiffly which only further amuses him. “So, you’re the new girl right,” he begins casually. Maven dips a fry in mustard and pops it in his mouth. I shudder in disgust. 

“My name’s Mare not new girl,” I correct him. He shrugs like it’s the same thing. “What brings you to this hellhole?” I draw my brows together in surprise. He scoffs at my expression. “Oh don't act like everything about me doesn’t scream outcast.” 

I make a sound of disgust. “Don’t tell me you’re one of these weird edgy kids who steal their mom’s eyeliner.” Maven rolls his eyes. “ And what, am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Poor little prince thinks he has it hard.” His gaze becomes cold at that and I almost shudder again. 

Maven softens after a while as his eyes go faraway. “No,” he says quietly. “I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me.” Then he looks at me. “Least of all you.”

I feel my shoulders sag in relief. Maven leans forward. “You’re not like the others,” he says softly. I raise a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“They’re all snakes waiting to strike,” he spits with such venom and I draw back. “I wouldn’t trust anyone if I were you,” he warns. The words ring like a bell. Don’t trust any of them. Shade’s last message to me. And yet Maven was here telling me the same thing. Suspicion nags at me. “Does that apply to you too?”

He mulls over this though we both know the answer.

“Yes.”

“Maven!”

We both whip around to face two boys approaching our table. Strangely enough I recognize them. The boys from the hockey team photo. 

“Cal, Ptolemus,” Maven greets them stiffly. I give him a look. Who are they? He shakes his head at me and it only deepens my puzzlement. 

The amber-eyed one, Cal, towers over us. His gaze is dark, disappointment etched in his features. It reminds me of how Tramy would look at me when I refused to do something simple like his chores. 

“Julian said you weren’t exactly yourself this morning,” Cal says sternly. Maven huffs and scrapes a hand through his curls. “I was perfectly fine, you know he just doesn’t like me.” Could they be talking about Jacos? But why would they be referring to him by his first name?

Cal lets out a sigh. “Listen I know-” he swallows heavily. “I know what went on with Thomas wasn’t easy on you but-” Maven’s withering glare stops him short. It’s so visceral I expect him to hiss. 

“What would you know about me,” he seethes. “Don’t pretend like you care, you hated him.”

Cal bristles. “Hate is a strong word I just...didn’t like him.” He crosses his arms. “And you know why.”

Cal’s eyes dart to me as if he’s just noticing me sitting there. I shift uncomfortably feeling as if I’d stumbled on something personal and not at all for my eyes. “Who’s she?”

Maven opens his mouth but I cut him off. “She can answer for herself thank you very much,” I say with disdain. His lips tug in a small smile and it only incenses me further. 

“Of course, I apologize,” Cal replies, inclining his head. It’s oddly sincere and takes me off guard. As does the shift in conversation. 

“He’s been gone for over a month now,” Ptolemus scoffs. “Wherever he disappeared to, I doubt he’s coming back.”

Both boys shoot him burning glares of their own. Maven looks positively murderous and again I wish nothing more than to slink away. But something about his phrasing speaks to something in me. I inch closer unable to help myself.

“Disappearance?” I ask almost breathlessly. There was no way...Shade had been gone longer than that. But only by about two or so weeks. Could Thomas’s vanishing have something to do with Shade? I had to know.

“Stay out of this Ptolemus,” Cal says between clenched teeth. They act as if they didn’t hear my question at all. Fine, I had some digging of my own to do then. Ptolemus looks between the two of them as if weighing the fight. He must not like what he sees because he stalks off muttering under his breath. 

Maven glances at me. “Sorry about that, Mare. You shouldn’t have heard that...the less people that know the better.” He looks up at Cal. “Isn’t that right?” 

Cal’s shoulders droop. “I’m just worried about you Mavey,” he whispers. Maven’s eyes flash with an odd emotion but it flits away just as quick as it came. “I know,” he replies softly, looking away as he does so. 

I clear my throat, the lie already forming on my lips. This could work, it had to. Shade had said not to trust anyone. But they were in the same position as me. That had to count for something, right? “Actually I wanted to tell you guys something.”

They whip their heads at me and I continue. “Shade, Shade Barrow. He disappeared too and he went to this school.” Cal and Maven nod their heads. “I remember Barrow. He was smart, more than he ever let on but I knew,” Cal says, brows furrowed in concentration. I try not to agree with him.

“I knew him. He was my best friend and I-”

“Wait, wait-” Maven holds up a hand. “If you knew Barrow then…” He and Cal glance at each other. “It’s no coincidence you’re here is it?” My cheeks flush. This wasn’t how I’d intended for this to go but I nod. Their eyes widen.

“And the plot thickens,” Cal smiles, though it’s strained. His forced attempt at humor is ignored by Maven and myself. I can’t but hope he’s not the type to make shit jokes in serious situations or else this partnership would go nowhere.

“Is possible they knew each other?” I wonder aloud. Maven shrugs. “It’s entirely possible but I’d never seen them talk.”

“Was Thomas your friend too,” I ask sympathetically. Maven’s cheeks flush and he ducks his head. The sight is endearing.

“Ah.”

“Yeah…”

The bell rings and we all jump. Maven moves faster than any of us and whips out a notebook scribbling at an almost blinding speed.

‘Here,” he says, shoving the slip of paper towards me. “It’s my number, we’ll meet up soon.”

“How about after school?” Cal offers. 

Maven starts. “I don’t know if I can-”

“Julian called Elara and told her about this morning,” Cal says throwing a meaningful and apologetic glance his way. “I think you might wanna stay out for a bit.”

Maven sneers. “Of course he did.”

“After school then,” Cal says to me with a grin. 

I nod. “See you then.”


	2. The Guard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why but I just hate this so far. I love the story but I feel like it's terribly done. I guess that's just how being a picky writer is. I have to keep reminding myself this is mostly foundation stuff.

362 Whitefire Street, 4:30

Maven's reply is short and to the point. I brush a wisp of hair out of my face as I straighten my cropped top. After punching in the address, I see it's an ice cream shop. I can't imagine why they'd choose there of all places. Perhaps it was inconspicuous, or...out of sight from anyone who might be digging around.

I grab my wallet and head out the door. Out of the corner of my eye I see Shade's room door open and my father glaring out the window. The lights aren't on. He hasn't spoken in weeks and he doesn't acknowledge me as he broods. My heart breaks even further at the sight and I walk faster. This was why I was doing this. Even if it meant teaming up with the notorious Calores.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Cal and Maven were brothers. Well, half-brothers. That took some research. They shared similar features but you couldn't tell at a first glance. The tab remained open on my laptop. It had been tempting to continue but there would be time for snooping later. Right now I focused on getting into the packed bus. Archeon was a different part of the city, with much more people than I was used to. My height certainly didn't help with avoiding being trampled on. I do my best to keep out of the way for the time.

When the bus comes to a stop, I hop off and resist from triple-checking that this was the right place. The building loomed ahead in confirmation anyway. It was a charming store, tucked into the corner of the plaza, painted in a bright shade of turquoise trimmed with pink latticework. An ice cream cone winks at me. I raise my brow. An odd choice for the Calore boys but who was I to judge?

The bell above the door signals to everyone inside that I've entered. Thankfully no one looks my way. I spot two heads of ink-black hair in a booth far to the back and stride over. Cal spots me first and he slides over to make room. I ignore him and plop down next to Maven who jolts when our arms brush. At least with him I knew it was purely platonic. Cal and his intensity unsettled me. But I would never admit that to him.

A cup of what I assume can only be half eaten mint-chocolate chip sits in front of Maven. I wrinkle my nose once again at his strange choice in food. He shrugs at my obvious disgust and continues to shovel ice cream into his mouth. Cal is more restrained. His own cup is pushed away from him like an afterthought.

"So..." I begin. They look at me expectantly and I clamp my jaw. "So?" Cal inquires waiting for me to finish.

"I didn't think that far." They huff at that. "At least I'm trying to make conversation," I protest.

"What if I just wanted to eat my ice cream?" Maven shoots back. I roll my eyes. "What if more people just start disappearing into thin air?"

They go silent. "Look, obviously I don't know you two very well, and you don't know me," I add. "Trust goes both ways." As if I would ever trust them. "Who knows who's next? We don't even know if someone's responsible for this." The thought makes my throat close up. I was mostly sure Shade had vanished of his own volition but there was that other part, the crippling doubt that chased me. What if he was dead in a ditch somewhere? What if someone had taken him? What would I do then?

"You're right, we don't know you. But that can be fixed, right Mavey?" Cal says turning his attention to his brother. He stares at him blankly. When Maven doesn't respond Cal lets out a sigh and looks to me. "There's a party this Saturday at the Samos'. Maybe you could come?"

I bite my lip. There was no way I would go. "I'll think about it."

He grins again and my stomach swoops "About Shade," I say hoping to divert the conversation. "I'll tell you everything I know about the weeks leading to him disappearing if you tell me about Thomas. There could be similarities in how it happened."

Cal nods and jerks his chin at Maven. "He knows the most." We shift our attention to Maven who steels himself. I understood the pain but we needed to do this, and he knew it.

"He'd been acting weird before, panicked. Always looking over his shoulder when we were out anywhere." Maven struggles to get the words out. I swallow heavily. Shade had been the same way. "He refused to leave his house most days."

"Did you hear him mention anything suspicious? Or find something he seemed oddly protective of?"

Maven hesitates. "I-we were in his room. He was in the washroom and I was looking for my jacket and...I found these bags with powder in his desk." Cal and I lean forward in interest. "Drugs?" Cal asks, seemingly unsurprised. Maven ducks his chin. "I think so. I heard him coming and pretended not to see anything."

Cal looks at me. "Did you know if Shade had anything to do with this?" I bristle. "He wasn't like that," I spit. "He'd never have anything to do with drugs."

Cal softens at my anger. "Look, I don't mean to insult him or anything but sometimes the people we think we know aren't at all who they claim to be," he says bitterly. "I bet he was a good guy but sometimes good people do bad things." He speaks slowly as if addressing a child.

"I know that," I snap. "I'll drop by his house and check."

"There was something else," Maven adds suddenly. "He said something about a Guard?"

I freeze but both boys don't seem to notice. "Could that be a code name?" Cal wonders aloud. Maven hums in agreement.

The Guard. My crew. But...I'd never heard of a Thomas. And we didn't deal drugs.

But the Demons did. I shudder at the thought of them. A rival gang, not just to us. They were brutal and had reaches everywhere. Their leader, the Ghost had never been seen and so their identity remained unknown. I wondered if they took pleasure in that.

My fist clenches and Cal notices my agitation. "What is it?" he murmurs.

I could lie and say it was nothing. But that wouldn't lead us anywhere.

I take a deep breath. "The Guard, it's not a person its...a street gang in the Stilts."

Cal furrows his brow. "How do you know?"

"They're well-known there, but they don't deal anything."

"We can't be so sure," Maven says, scooping out the last of his ice cream. I don't say anything, lest my temper get the better of me.

"That's a start at least," Cal offers. "Mare, what could you tell us about Shade?"

"Pretty much the same thing as Maven said, minus the drugs. He acted paranoid and wouldn't talk unless he had to." I suck in a shuddering breath. "Like someone was watching him."

My eyes dart around on instinct. Maybe Shade had a good reason to be afraid. Should I?

A girl stares back at me.

Her steel-silver hair catches the sun. She sits across a redhead who stares out the window with no regard. The more I look at her the more I see Ptolemus in her features. The silver hair was a dead giveaway. She sneers at me when we lock gazes.

Cal's finger grazes my arm and I jump.

"Sorry," he blurts. "It's just, Evangeline is best left unbothered."

"It's like the don't approach the tiger cage sign in the zoo," Maven agrees. "Unless you want your eyes clawed out."

"Yeah but she's a person so it's a little different."

They don't reply.

"I'll be right back," Maven chips, breaking the awkward silence. He hops over me and I curl myself hoping to avoid getting squashed. He heads to the washroom and I almost want to call him back as to not leave me alone. But why? I wonder. You barely know either of them.

I peek at Cal. His chin rests on his palm as he stares down at me. When I catch him staring he blushes. "I'm sorry, I just-" Cal lets out an uncomfortable laugh. "I know this is gonna sound weird but I feel like we've met before." I stare blankly at him. Something pokes at me but I ignore it, refusing to acknowledge something that could dig us into a deeper hole. "But that's crazy," he stumbles on. "Because we've never met before."

"Right," I say slowly. I examine his features and call back to the day I first saw him in that photo. Something about him had seemed familiar. I'd brushed it off as it being due to his family's status. Surely I must've seen him in the news somewhere. But I wasn't of consequence, not someone to be recognized.

He settles back into his seat and drums his fingers on the table, trying to puzzle it out. I had a feeling he wasn't the type to leave something unsolved or liked the sensation of not knowing. While he thinks I study him and weigh his earlier request, that I attend the Samos' party. As in the family that was the second half in the whole that made up Norta. I'd never bothered myself with the dealings of the feud between the Calores and the Samos' but it was everywhere, practically unavoidable.

They wrestled for control of Norta and it's resources, each tugging at each other but not enough to do significant damage. I wondered about the day it would come to a tipping point, and who's side it would favour.

"You said something about a party?"

Cal's eyes fly to my face. "Yeah it was um," he scratches his head awkwardly. "You don't have to come if you don't want to." He shrugs. "It's not everyone's thing." Though the words are kind enough I can't help but sense a challenge. He knows I do.

My nostrils flare in annoyance. There goes that grin again. "Just figured any sister of Shade wouldn't be able to resist."

I almost get up and leave right then but he gently clasps my hand. Though I know it's only to catch my attention my heart stumbles in my chest. "I know we don't have any proof that the Samos' were involved but I think Evangeline might know something about Shade." His jaw is clenched tightly. His voice is so soft I have to lean in to hear him. "Why would you think that?"

He hesitates and his eyes dart around. "Because they used to be a thing for a while...it was short but-"

I stop hearing him speak. A strange kind of silence drowns out everything else. His gentle tug is the only thing that brings me back. 'Hey," he whispers softly. "I understand it's a lot to take in but people are looking, specifically Evangeline." At least he doesn't look at her. I fight from doing so.

"What?" is all I can get out.

When I look up his face is full of pity. I harden myself against it. "I didn't know Shade very well, but we'd talk sometimes. Evangeline however is-"

"A close family friend?" I cut in. "Something like that," he replies absentmindedly. I can feel his leg brush against mine as he fidgets nervously. Carefully I move away.

"I just know that her parents didn't approve of it."

I finish for him, saying what hovers over us. "Enough to get rid of him?" The thought makes me sick. What were you thinking Shade?

Cal looks at me grimly. "Maybe."

I breathe in deeply, feeling my eyes shut.

"So we search the house. Look for anything that could be suspicious or used as evidence for the theory."

"And you?" I crack open an eye to look at him. Cal wears a mask of confusion. Or it could be real. But he couldn't be so stupid as to not realize what I was implying.

"If the Samos' are found guilty, they'll be ruined. And the Calores won't have competition."

"Not in Norta at least," I think I hear him mutter. The admission intrigues me and I remind myself to look into that later.

"I honestly didn't even consider that," he admits, this time louder. "But it would be a win-win situation"

I raise a brow, smirking a little. "You're sneakier than you let on Calore."

He winks at me. "A coin always has two sides."

Maven approaches the table and this time I slide over so he doesn't have to risk vaulting over me again. He plops down. "So what'd I miss?"

Cal and I share a pointed look.

"Do you wanna tell him or should I?"

Cal flourishes his arm at me and I roll my eyes at the dramatic gesture.

I turn to Maven. "I hope you have party clothes picked out because we're crashing one."

***

I keep my head down as I walk. After explaining the plan to Maven we'd parted ways. They went home, wherever that was I assumed.

But I had unfinished business and questions that needed answering. And only one person could provide them.

Farley leans against the brick wall, combat boots scuffing at the dirt. Cam hovers close to her side and Kilorn kicks at the grass.

The jacket is a comfort and a warning to anyone who tries to pull a fast one on me. I was protected and violation of the rules would result in a fair match. The torn sun symbol stitched into the back had always brought me pride. But now I felt weighed down. It couldn't be true. We had laws of our own. Farley was always hell-bent on enforcing them.

"Barrow," she greets. "What'd you need us for?"

I glance around. "We should speak inside." Farley narrows her eyes. But she obliges and waves Kilorn and Cam in. I slip in last and make sure to bolt the door.

Farley crosses her arms and stares me down. Speak.

"Do you know anything about a boy named Thomas?"

To her credit she doesn't sputter. "Out," she barks to Kilorn and Cameron. They toss us confused glances. "I thought we don't keep secrets," Kilorn replies, crossing his arms. He moves closer to me. So did I.

Farley doesn't repeat herself. Instead she stands her ground. Cameron knows better than to argue. "Come on," she tugs Kilorn away. I don't miss her look of worry as they disappear from sight.

I gulp.

Farley paces and I don't miss her clenched fists. "How do you know that name?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I shoot back. She huffs and I know I won't get an answer until I explain. So that's what I do.

"He dealt didn't he? But why'd he mention us, we don't do that." Cold fear strikes me. "We don't do that right?"

She's quiet and my eyes widen. "Farley-"

"Chill, Barrow. I meant what I said, we don't do drugs." She eyes me, fingers tapping at her now crossed arms. "I've answered your question, it's time to repay the favour." I bite my tongue to keep myself from a sharp retort.

"I don't know much about him," I grind out. "Other than that he had a stash and disappeared a few weeks ago."

Farley bobs her head. "Is that all?" She sounds like a dismissive teacher and I find myself feeling like a scolded student.

"No that's not all. Shade's gone too. And that boy Thomas mentioned something about us. Who is he and why would be talking about us?" I wring my hands together.

Farley stiffens at the mention of Shade though I don't know why. "Mare, some thing's you're better off not knowing."

"Because you don't think I can handle it? Seriously--"

"Because knowing certain things puts you in danger," she snaps. Farley flushes in anger and she looks as if she wants to say more but stops herself.

"What aren't you telling me," I growl, prowling closer. "If it can help Shade in any way and you refuse to tell me, I'll never forgive you."

"I can live with that," she clips. I stumble back, hurt. This wasn't Farley. She rakes a hand through her blonde hair, shorn almost to the scalp as she often did when she was stressed. She was afraid too, I realize. I didn't know of what, or who but I knew enough of Diana Farley to recognize fear.

"Please tell me," I say softly. "Whatever it is that's weighing on you, you don't deserve to shoulder it alone." She barks out a harsh laugh. "I've dealt with worse Barrow."

Farley flicks her gaze up to me, scrutinizing my face, gauging how badly I wanted, no, needed this. She must see my desperation because she sighs and waves me over. "I think you might need to sit down." I oblige, not bothering to mask my naked curiosity.

"Shade made me promise not to tell you." Her throat bobs and Farley licks her lips. "But everything's gone to shit. You do deserve to know, I tried to tell him as much."

I draw back in surprise. I hadn't realized they were so close. She continues, ignoring my shock.

"The boy, Thomas. He worked for the Demons. I'd seen him hanging around them.Came lurking around here and I turned him away but he said he was in danger. Shade, damn him took pity on the kid, agreed to help him escape. I didn't ask questions, didn't want to involve myself," Farley squeezes out. "Shade did though. Fell in with them. I'd see him less and less often." A tear rolls down her cheek. I can't move, frozen in my seat.

"He worked for them? The Demons?" I can't feel the words coming out of my mouth. This wasn't real. Couldn't be.

"No, he didn't" Farley replies fiercely. " I don't know what they held over him, but one job turned into two. Then a few more. And he was gone." Her hands flutter to her stomach and she strokes it gently. "He always told me not to worry whenever he left," she whispers, more to herself.

"Did he-" I swallow heavily. "Did he do drug runs?" I hold my breath as I wait for Farley's answer. When she nods my heart drops in my chest.

"After he refused to continue working for them, they got angry. So he hid the rest of the stash they'd given him to pass out. Not a wise decision as you can imagine."

"Do you know where it could be?" Farley shrugs. No.

"I know someone, he said that-that Thomas had bags full of them in his house. Maybe they split it to hide?" Shade wouldn't have done the same. He couldn't have been so foolish as to hide something so damning in our home. Not with all of us at risk.

"Maybe," Farley replies distantly. Her hands move over her stomach again. "Mare, there's something else--"

The violent shove of the door into the adjoining of the abandoned building swings open and Kilorn stumbles in, Cameron on his heels. Farley's on her feet in an instant. "What is it," she barks. No traces of whatever lingering sadness she'd had to be found

Kilorn doesn't have the chance to answer. The echo of screams reply loudly enough. Glass shattering has us all ducking beneath the desk. Heat licks out the open window and I cough into my jacket, smoke stinging my eyes.

We all knew who's work this was.

Cameron says it aloud anyways.

"The Demons."

***


	3. A Deal with Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PREPARE TO BE SHOOKETH MY FRIENDS

I didn’t know why they were here, but one look at Farley’s face screamed enough.

Thomas and Shade. Even gone their shadows still plagued us all. 

Farley’s hand strays to her hip and to my surprise and dread she unholsters a gun. It gleams in the firelight and my fists clench wishing for a weapon of my own to protect myself. Cameron’s face has gone pale, so far from the steely determined girl I know. But I can understand why. We’re outnumbered and trapped inside a burning building. Acrid smoke stings my eyes and lungs, a firm reminder that the clock is ticking. We have to find a way out.

I move, scanning for an exit but Farley’s hand stops me cold. “Don’t. It’s what they want, to lure us out.”

I shake off her grip. “So what? We stay in here and die?” She scoffs and eyes me as if I’m some stupid creature. “Of course not.” 

“So how do you propose we get out of this?”

She simply points down. Kilorn catches her meaning and sweeps aside the old rug that lay in the centre of the room to reveal a trapdoor. Cam tosses me flashlight and I catch it deftly despite still reeling from the shock of our situation. Of course we were using the tunnels. Farley and I had discovered them a few months back. They were a particular fascination of hers but I couldn’t stand them. One by one we lower ourselves in, Kilorn going in last right behind me. He tugs the rug overhead and locks the trapdoor firmly shut. The chaos above is muffled by the steel. 

We forge ahead, shining our flashlights to reveal a long passageway of stone and brick. The location and reason behind the tunnels were a mystery but they looked half finished. Over the years mildew and plants have grown between the cracks while graffiti stains the walls. The constant drip of water above is the only sound that walks with us as me move ahead.

The tunnel is dark, seemingly endless. The light from my flashlight flickers every so often before it goes out. It was only a matter of time before the rest did too. Farley keeps a hand on her gun, never wavering. Her eyes sweep the darkness and look back to rest on me.

She wasn’t done explaining herself. I shot her a glare that told her as much. For now we had to focus on getting the hell out of here. 

I check my phone for what seems like the fifth time in the last minute, one of many. Still no reception. I couldn’t call for help. But who would I call anyways? Shade was gone, he couldn’t help me anymore. I can’t even pull up a map to see where we’re headed.

“Where are we going?” I ask at last, breaking the silence. Farley swipes at a lock of blonde hair as she answers. “West. There’s a safehouse there.” There’s something else she’s not saying. But I trust her. She doesn’t want to hurt us. But will that stop her?

Kilorn senses it too. He narrows his eyes at her figure as she marches ahead. “Spit it out Farley,” he growls. “Everything.”

She tosses her her to look back at us. There’s something like fear in her eyes and it takes me aback. “Let’s just say I’ve had my suspicions about something.” Her stare is meaningful as she gazes at me. About Shade? But what could it be?

“Tell them everything, Farley. If we’re gonna be a team, they have to know,” I say to her. She ducks her chin in agreement after what feels like forever. I knew the topic of Shade wasn’t easy for her. I think they cared for each other, maybe. But withholding information wouldn’t get us anywhere.

As she talks I drift away. How odd life was. A few hours ago I was with Cal and Maven, the sons of a powerful family in a dainty little ice cream shop forging an alliance to help with mystery of Thomas and Shade. And now here I was, running for my life.

I didn’t trust the Calore brothers. They were too shifty, even Maven. He could make his jokes and have his endearingly disgusting choices in food but they were still an enemy. Guilty unless proven innocent. He’d told me himself not to trust him or anyone else. Shade had said the same thing. 

Cal on the other hand...he didn’t strike me as the clever type. But when he’d told me of his plans to search the Samos’ house, there was this strange darkness, something dancing in eyes that told of trouble. And they way he’d spoken of people not being who they’d claimed to be, of good people doing bad things, He’d said it with such bitterness that it intrigued me. And there was still the whole question of how we seemed so familiar to each other. 

I rack my brain, searching. I’d ignored the image that had tugged at me in the ice cream shop. I hadn’t wanted to him to see any trace of recognition. Cal had been watching me too closely for me to afford a slip-up. But now it unfurled as I remembered. 

_Firelight, a dark alley. A siren wails nearby and the sounds of the city echo behind me as I trail through the shadows, weaving around patches of light. A figure looms ahead, tall and broad shouldered. His eyes scrape the sky and linger on the barely visible stars above. It makes it easy. Almost too easy for me to wrap my fingers around the wallet poking out of his leather jacket pocket. Any traces of guilt that should’ve lingered from previous thefts don’t hound me now. Shade was gone, and with that a part of our income. I needed this money._

I hadn’t even stopped to question why he’d had so much cash on him in the first place. I’d been too blinded by the prize.

_I tug on it gently and barely have the chance to pull my wrist back before a warm hand grips it. It pulls me out of the shadows, but it’s still dark. I can’t make out his features, but his eyes, a furious amber pierce the darkness._

_“Thief,” he says with surprise._

_I blink at him, fighting the stupid urge to laugh. “Obviously.”_

_He doesn’t respond, still stunned either by my response or the fact that someone had just tried to rob him. After a while he releases me and I stumble back. He tosses a few bills at me which I catch mindlessly. I gape at the amount. “You can’t be serious.”  
He tilts his head at me, trying to puzzle me out. I realize he cannot make out my face either and I step further back into the shadows. “You need it more than I do,” he says at last. I grit my teeth and grip the money tighter lest I throw it in his face and tell him I could do just fine without his pity. But my family and I needed this. My crew and I needed this._

_“Thank you,” I force out between clenched teeth._

_“Don’t hurt yourself,” he chuckles. He falls into step beside me, matching my pace with ease as I scurry away. He nods to me. “So what’s a Guard member doing crawling around in Demon territory?”_

_Shock pounds through me. “How did you--”_

_“Your jacket.” He points at the symbol clearly displayed and I curse at myself for not have removing it sooner. Instead of shrugging off the jacket I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re quite familiar with gang symbols for an outsider.” He grins at that. “Who says I’m an outsider?”_

_My eyes dart to the back of his jacket fearfully. What if he was a Demon member? I was so fucking screwed in that case. He must sense my trepidation because his eyes go soft. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispers. He is oddly bewildered as if the thought crossing my mind was ridiculous. The stranger angles his back to me and I see the blue anchor with twisting with vines around it. I almost slump in relief. The Mariners. An ally of the Guard. Farley had a few friends in the gang._

_“What are you doing here,” I ask with disdain, speeding up my pace. He might be an ally but that didn’t mean I trusted him. To my frustration he keeps up with ease. “I might ask you the same thing,” he replies. I shoot him a glare. “Answer the damn question.”_

_He clenches his jaw. “Personal business. You?” That was as much as I would get from I guessed. “Delivery.” My response is clipped and just as vague. He notes this with narrowed eyes._

_Up ahead I spot a figure, his blonde hair glowing in the moonlight. The stranger freezes at the sight of him and ducks behind a dumpster. I quickly do the same. He wasn’t alone. A man stood with him, the mark of his gang proudly displayed. I still shuddered every time I saw it. The hollowed out eyes of the skull with flames wreathing it was warning,_ stay away. _The boy was clothed in the same outfit, though he shuffled nervously._

_“Where’s the other one,” the taller man growls. I think I see the glint of a knife in his grip. The blonde shakes his head furiously. The man shoots a hand out and closes it around the boy’s neck. I’m stunned. You couldn’t hurt one of your own._

_“You think that jacket protects you. But I know you’re up to no good,” he hisses. The boy remains silent. It unnerves the man. “My boss isn’t happy boy, and I’m sure you can imagine why. Your friend is up and gone along with our stash.”_

_“I-I don’t know-”_

_The man backhands him. “He’s gonna send his silver bitch of a daughter lurking around again,” he spits. “She came by last week with another one, so you better tell me where it is or else I’ll have the boss deal with you themselves.”_

_“I’ll-find it,” the boy sputters out._

_With a sound of disgust the man releases them. To my right, the stranger shifts watching the exchange with a furrowed brow. But there’s an obvious dislike in his eyes, one that could only come with a connection._

_“You know him.” It’s not a question._

_“Yes.”_

_“You don’t like him either. Explains why you look like you wish that man had given him a good beating.”_

_His eyes have gone cold. “Don’t presume to know me.”_

_I push anyways. “He’s your personal business, isn’t he? Why are you following him?”_

_“You don’t have a delivery, do you?” he replies instead. His gaze is filled with a warning._ Don’t push.

_“No,” I respond, terse. With that I slip away and this time he doesn’t follow. I can’t help but look back but his attention is firmly fixed on the blonde who now stumbles away._

I suck in a deep breath. It was Cal. He was the stranger. That was why he’d looked so familiar in the photo, his eyes, I’d noticed his eyes. If I knew, it was only a matter of time before he would piece it together as well. And then what?

The boy, it had to be Thomas. “Where’s the other one,” the man had said. Shade. Cal was following him. In the cafeteria he’d made his obvious dislike of Thomas clear. And no wonder. 

I thought back to the ice cream shop. When I’d mentioned the Guard, he’d played the perfect part of confusion. He knew damn well what we were. And when he’d suggested searching the Samos’ house, it was based on more than just a hunch. We’d heard it that very night. Oh God. The boss, the Ghost-his daughter.

Could it be Evangeline’s father?

“Here it is,” Farley says and she shoves open a hatch, snapping me out of that fateful night. I shake my head and scale the ladder watching Cam above as I do. I had to share this with Farley.

I don’t even get the chance to fully examine the room. It was dark and the floorboards creaked beneath my feet. But it’s the cold metal at my neck that has me frozen. Kilorn starts but the blade at his own neck digs in deeper. Cameron spits at the woman holding her and receives a slap in return. Two people hold down Farley, a woman and a man, not willing to take any chances. Strangely enough she doesn’t fight. I widen my eyes at her but she shakes her head. The familiar skull and flame symbol is embedded on their backs but also tattooed on their arms. Even if I were blind I would’ve known who they were.

“Don’t you think we’ve figured out your little safe houses by now,” the woman holding Farley sneers. Farley’s eyes are blank. She already knew, but had to test it. I have my suspicions about something, she’d said. But she wouldn’t be so stupid as to walk us into a trap to prove a theory. Her calm deposition confirms there’s something else. 

“Your golden-eyed little member told us everything, well,” she pauses. “It took a little...convincing.” My heart stops. They have Shade, they have him. He’s suffering right now, my mind screams

The woman delights in my look of pain and Farley’s muffled cry. Kilorn hisses. “You bastards!” He tries to launch himself at her but is yanked back. My own temper rises with a dizzying speed. I can't see straight, red pulses around the edge of my vision.

The woman jerks her chin at the man holding Kilorn. “Get rid of him first.”

Kilorn’s eyes widen and the man holding him chuckles as the metal bites deeper. “I’ll enjoy this,” he grins, but it’s full of a sick kind of hunger. 

“Stop this,” I choke out. “There has to be something you want.”

The woman snaps her gaze to me as if just noticing that I was there. She bares her teeth. But then she looks out past me, thoughtful. It’s all a play. They burned down that building to get to us. Thomas betrayed the, now they want vengeance. She wanted me to ask that question. I know the words before she speaks. “There is something. If you deliver Thomas to us, we can give you back Barrow.”

Impossible. I have no idea where or have a full idea of who Thomas is. But it’ll get Shade back. 

Maven cares for him though. I knew it. Could I really hand him over, trade the boy Maven loved for my brother? I don’t care much for Maven, but even I know it’s heartless.

Which makes my decision harder.

I look to Farley. She wants this too. “We will,” I reply, leveling the woman with a harsh glare of my own. Her short black hair is choppy and tattoos crawl up her neck. I needed to remember her for when this was over.

Her answering smile is nothing short of murderous.

“Good, now-”

The door flies open and the man behind me drops instantly. I don't question it. Instead I grab his blade and whirl around to find Kilorn and Cameron freed. The Demons lie on the ground, unconscious. Cameron kicks at the woman who held her and Kilorn tugs her back. His eyes go to me, scanning for injuries. I shake my head at him and go to help Farley up. She struggles slightly and I throw her arm over my shoulder.

She doesn’t look at me though. Instead she grins at a man with bright blue eyes against brown skin. “I knew you’d come, Crance.”

The man-Crance-grins back.”Of course Captain.” I raise a brow at the strange nickname. “It would’ve been rude to leave a friend in trouble.”

His tattoo catches my eye. An anchor. He was a Mariner.The leader perhaps, though I’d never met him. 

Someone moves behind me and I move aside. But they don’t look to me, instead they look to Crance. “They won’t stay like this for long, we’d better move,” they warn. Their tall broad form practically vibrates with adrenaline. Crance waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Always so tense, Cal.”

I go stiff. Instinct has me moving to hide my face. I look down and a curtain of hair swipes across half of my face. My breathing has slowed. Kilorn notes this and I see the question in his eyes. He straightens as well and assess the Mariners warily. There’s six of them but my attention rests on Cal. He prowls the room, almost pacing.

“We heard what Charlotte said,” he says to Farley. Charlotte. The woman with the black hair and tattoos. “You agreed to help find Thomas and give him in for Shade.”

Farley goes rigid. “I did, yes.”

Cal shakes his head. “It can’t be done.”

“They have him, they have Shade. Thomas is a traitor anyways. You have as much of a reason to hate him like I do-”

Cal hisses out a frustrated sigh. “Even if I wanted to trade him, I won’t.”

“You won’t or you can’t?” Cameron challenges, raising her chin. Cal looks at her bleakly “Both.”

“Forget your damn brother would you,” Farley snaps. “Thomas is a wanted fugitive among us all.”

Cal is firm in his decision. “It’s inhumane to trade someone like that,” he snaps back. “And my brother’s affairs are none of your concern.”

I knew it was only the rage and hurt in Farley speaking. She didn’t want that fate for Thomas. But we both wanted Shade back. The cost of it frightened us both.

“Crance.”

He pushes off the wall at the order and I gape. Cal was their leader, i had been wrong, so terribly wrong. The eldest son of one of the most powerful families in Norta was the leader of a notorious street gang. Cal spins around and I look down once more, my jaw tense.

He notes the movement and with deliberate slowness walks over to me. All I hear are his footsteps as he inches closer. No one stops it, instead they watch with confusion, Farley most of all. I curse silently. If I’d told her she would’ve stopped this. It’s too late now.

Cal towers over me. His air isn’t furious but it isn't kind either. He’s wary of me. Why wouldn’t he be? I was acting as shifty as Thomas had in that dark alleyway.

His fingers are gentle beneath my chin, barely brushing my skin. “Who’s this Farley?”

She doesn’t get to answer. I tip my face upwards to meet his gaze, staring head on. If he was going to find out it would be on my terms.

His eyes widen and he stumbles back. Cal’s face has gone pale. Then it twists with recognition, the kind I’d felt beneath the tunnels. The light above us is dim, shadows lurking around the edges. Like the night we met.

“Mare,” he breathes.


End file.
